Kaoru jerked her head at the sound of Kenshin’s voice. Not sure on how to react to his sudden appearance, not sure on his reaction would be? Wishing that the tears that still ran down her cheeks would some how disappear. Wishing that he would not see them? Hoping that if he did, he would not comment on them. But somewhere she knew better, she knew that…he…the battousai…would notice. Then he would demand to know the cause of her tears her sadness. The next question was… what would be her answer???

Suddenly the silence was broking by Kenshin softly walking over where she laid on the ground. Fear came overwhelming and she pushed her self away from him. Kaoru watched as shock entered his eyes, and then a puzzled gaze took over. But it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered to her at the moment, nothing but…him! The battousai… suddenly her fear, anger, and uneasiness came to the surface. Demanding that…he…take away these…emotions that he had put within her.

Sure it was her rurouni that had told her of the battousai wife…told her of what must have been this wonderful love? But for some reason the rorouni’s account of the great and wonderful woman didn’t help her figure where…she…stood with him? Exactly what did she mean to this man? Battousai and rurouni alike!

Suddenly Kaoru didn’t care if she was scared of the glowing amber eyed man, she wanted his attention, long enough to find out her meaning. Reaching up she wiped her tears away, coming to stand tall. Kaoru raised her eyes to look Kenshin in the eyes and saw a confused look within the redhead’s eyes. Next she saw his lips move.

“Kaoru-dono?”

Kaoru set herself to the battle that was sure to come, cause she was not giving up until she had her answers.

“Kaoru-dono is there something the matter? Maybe I can help, that I can?”

Kaoru smiled a sad smile and looked directly into Kenshins’ eyes. Summoning her strength Kaoru walking over to the rurouni and with a small and soft voice, she did the one thing she never wanted to do…

“Battousai I wish to speak to you, directly!”

To bad for Kaoru, in all her sadness, her eyes had became blank taking on a blackness that was unbecoming on her. But somewhere in the haze of the battousai sleeping mind, the blackness reminded him of a woman that had called him anata.